A scientific mechanism for providing accurate information to the public is the need of the hour at a time when the frequency of heavy rainfall events is on the rise, Minister for Water Resources Roshy Augustine has said.
Mr. Augustine was speaking after launching the Kerala Water Resources Information System (K-WRIS), a ''single, authoritative system'' for all information related to water resources in the State, on Wednesday.
Need for better communication
Noting the increase in natural calamities such as mud slips and landslides in the State, Mr. Augustine said that the impact of such events can be mitigated through scientific planning and proper communication systems.
The K-WRIS was developed by the Irrigation Department under the Rebuild Kerala Initiative.
The project was born out of the need for a functional information system on water resources for providing reliable and accurate data to support planning and decision-making related to the water sector. The 2018 and 2019 floods had exposed the lack of such a support system, which is critical to the management of water-related risks such as floods and droughts.
Critical decision support tool
K-WRIS is designed as a web portal where all water-related data get integrated on a single platform, which can then be accessed by policy makers and stakeholders in water and allied sectors.
Meant to act as a critical decision support tool in planning strategies related to water resources, it will provide real-time inputs on surface and ground water, river basins and tributaries, reservoirs and other water bodies, rainfall and related meteorological data and soil moisture content.
Sekhar L. Kuriakose, member secretary, Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA); Mohammed Y. Safirulla, Officer on Special Duty (Finance Resources); K. P. Sudheer, Ex Officio Principal Secretary, Department of Science and Technology; officials of the Irrigation Department, were present.
